Xplorer carts

[Squaresoft74]

Many thanks for the dumps Nextria !
As far as i can tell they both looks good.

You can now safely reflash your Xplorer using kHn's disc.
If you ever want to restore your original rom dump, get the attached file.

Until your rom dump is added to an updated X-Flash compilation disc you'll need to:
- Have an original Xplorer rom installed on your cart.
- Use no$psx-> "Utility" -> "Upload to PSX" to send the provided executable.
- Once booted on your console, just hit start to reflash/restore.

[PhyChris]

I know this has been asked before many times but why do cheat carts in general use 5v chips? I always thought the PSX parallel port used 3.5v logic, is that right?

[danhans42]

No entirely sure.. it could be that they were cheaply available as they were in use in lots of other devices at the time.. CD-ROM drives/DVD players etc etc.. whereas 3.3v may not be as commonly used. Also, the PAL/GAL that is used on these devices is a 5v device, as was everything they interfaced with (xplorer parallel/AR commslink card).

But yes, the PSX uses 3.3v logic levels, but seem to be quite happy with 5v devices attached to them.

[PhyChris]

thanks for the reply. makes sense, never thought about the PC side of things (5v levels)

[szalay_1]

Hello,

So this morning after installing windows 98 for the 7th time (no joke)
I was ready to do some dumping.
X-killer worked like a charm and i dumped my rom 3 times as .bin and three times like .rom.

I hope the dumps are good, i did not flash my card yet.
I also tried to dump the gamars psx-003.
It says it dumped but x-killer can recognize the dump.

Can some check if they are okay

I've tried flash Gamer PSX-003.bins into Action Replay cartridge
who has (2 Mbit 29EE020) using Caeflash.com, but black screen.

Also tried
FCD release 1.095BP Dutch 07-10-1998 first.bin
works well.

[Squaresoft74]

I've tried flash Gamer PSX-003.bins into Action Replay cartridge
who has (2 Mbit 29EE020) using Caeflash.com, but black screen.

This dump will only work properly/at all with Gamars Movie Card devices.

[szalay_1]

I've tried flash Gamer PSX-003.bins into Action Replay cartridge
who has (2 Mbit 29EE020) using Caeflash.com, but black screen.

This dump will only work properly/at all with Gamars Movie Card devices.

Hey Squaresoft74
Got it, and thank you the "hot swap step guide" for Xplorer
it saved my two FX cartridge

[Squaresoft74]

Glad it's been useful to you.

For now there's another solution to unbrick those dual banked Xplorer FX thanks to nocash.

Attached file contains :
Xplorer FX (England) r4.52 PRO 1999-11-05.EXE
Xplorer FX (England) r4.52 PRO 1999-11-22.EXE

They're nocash's flasher with the mentionned roms embedded.

Either have a way such as Danhans42's Siolader to upload the exe on your system, then follow on screen infos with the cartridge plugged in.

Or assuming you can boot CDR, make a boot disc with one of the exe using LameGuy64's MKPSXISO.
Once booted, follow on screen infos with the cartridge plugged in.

[szalay_1]

Kool Thank you.. i will try in weekend.

EDIT: I've tried and works like a charm.. thanks to nocash !
I used PSXloader via caetla and hot swap.

PSX_Loader.jpg

01.jpg

02.jpg

03.jpg

done...

[Squaresoft74]

Thanks for confirming it worked fine for you.

[brill]

XPlorerV2Manual.pdf
XPlorerV2XPansionCD.pdf
PostCard.pdf

[szalay_1]

about author
elseif key=5
x[1] = (x[1] + 057h) ;"W"ayne
x[2] = (x[2] + 042h) ;"B"eckett
x[3] = (x[3] + 031h) ;"1"
x[4] = (x[4] + 032h) ;"2"
x[5] = (x[5] + 033h) ;"3"

[Squaresoft74]

XPlorerV2XPansionCD.pdf

Hey thanks for the Xpansion CD manual !
I didn't know about the hidden upgrade menu from memory cards for V1 devices.
Any chance you could dump your disc ?
I have a backup of it but i'm not sure if it's proper or not as it's not listed on Redump yet.

As far as i could check, it will only allow to upgrade UK V1/V2 Xplorer devices to rom version 2.007.
Beside this one, i'd be curious to know if some more upgrade CDs were released at all for other regions or later rom versions.

Attached is a dump of the two generated memory cards to upgrade from them.
If you own a PS3 Memory Card USB Adaptor, you can use Orion's MC manager to write them back.

[brill]

Squaresoft74, dump of my xpansion cd

[Squaresoft74]

Many thanks Brill !
Seems to be the same disc but with different checksum for your dump.
Do you know how it was originaly distributed ?
I may try to grab one and dump it with Redump's tool as i have compatible drives just to make sure.

[brill]

Squaresoft74, We did not have an XPLORER in free sale. I saw only clones of GameShark. I got my own cartridge through an auction in England. There was a disc in the box. So I do not know how they originally distributed there.

Try to take a copy of Your disc with ImgBurn to make sure they are identical. And then remove according to the instructions from the redump site.

[Squaresoft74]

I do not own such original disc atm.
My boxed UK Xplorer are V1 ones and they didn't come with any disc.
The dump i have was downloaded long time ago from some forgotten place.

I guess that disc came with V2 devices only.
Maybe V3 ones did include one too unless they later only provided updates via downloadable .fcd files.

I'll try to grab one and see what it gives.

Did you try flashing your card with a rom version below 2.007 and then update it with your disc to see what it gives ?

[brill]

Squaresoft74, Yes, I downgraded the firmware to 2.005 and then updated it through the disk to 2.007. The update went fine.
PS: With version numbers, I'm definitely not sure, because have been doing this for a long time.

[ps2opat]

Feel free to add them into the thread.

Added to first post, thank you.

(the two boards known to me are "PXT6" (with solder pads for one PLCC EEPROM) and "PXT6-3" (with pads for two PLCC EEPROMs, and pads for SRAM/GAL in alternate packages)

My Xplorer FX Professional and X-Terminator PRO DX (both Winbond models), don't have any reference at all on their PCB.
I'll add pictures of the solder side.

*edit*
Here it is:

Can you please update this photo? It appears the link is dead.

[Squaresoft74]

Here you go: